The United States had promised a total of 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, equipped with 120mm depleted uranium munitions. Controversial munitions due to toxic risks for the military and the population.
US President Joe Biden assured Thursday that the first Abrams tanks would arrive in Ukraine “next week” in order to strengthen the Ukrainian armed forces in their counter-offensive against Russian forces.
“Next week, the first American Abrams tanks will be delivered to Ukraine,” said the Democratic leader at the White House, in the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who is making his second visit to Washington since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Joe Biden also announced that he had approved a new tranche of military assistance to kyiv, estimated by the Pentagon at some $325 million. It includes air defense missiles, ammunition for Himars multiple rocket launchers, anti-tank weapons and artillery ammunition.
Cluster munitions
But Washington will not, for the moment, provide the long-range ATACMS missiles that kyiv is demanding. The aid nevertheless includes cluster munitions that the United States agreed to deliver to Ukraine last July.
Controversial, these weapons are accused of causing numerous collateral victims, particularly civilians, due in particular to the unexploded charges which are buried in the ground.
They are prohibited in a number of countries, particularly European ones, signatories to the 2008 Oslo Convention, of which neither the United States, nor Ukraine, nor Russia or China are parties.
Washington, however, claims to have received guarantees from Kiev that it would minimize the risk that these weapons pose to civilians, in particular by not using them in populated areas.
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2023-09-21 23:17:02
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